“Ch. 4 Key Terms.” Flashcards
ecosystem
a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
biotic factors
This includes both animals that consume other organisms within their ecosystem, and the organism that is being consumed.
abiotic factors
non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems.
organism
a living thing anything that can carry out life process idepindently
species
a group of organisms that are closely related or can make fertility
populations
a particular section, group, or type of people or animals living in an area or country.
community
a group of living things that live in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.
habitat
the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism.
natural selection
the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
evolution
the process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
adaptation
a change or the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment.
artificial selection
breeding of organisms to produce domesticated animals with more desirable traits
resistance
he ability not to be affected by something, especially adversely.
archaea
type of bacteria
bacteria
a member of a large group of unicellular microorganisms which have cell walls but lack organelles and an organized nucleus, including some which can cause disease.
fungus
any of a group of spore-producing organisms feeding on organic matter, including molds, yeast, mushrooms, and toadstools.
protist
an orginism that belongs to the kingdom protista
gymnosperm
a plant that has seeds unprotected by an ovary or fruit. Gymnosperms include the conifers, cycads, and ginkgo.
angiosperm
a plant that has flowers and produces seeds enclosed within a carpel. The angiosperms are a large group and include herbaceous plants, shrubs, grasses, and most trees.
invertebrates
an animal lacking a backbone, such as an arthropod, mollusk, annelid, coelenterate, etc. The invertebrates constitute an artificial division of the animal kingdom,
vertebrates
an animal of a large group distinguished by the possession of a backbone or spinal column, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.
